Addiction to drugs is a disease. It is defined in this way because long-term drug abuse changes both the structure and functions of the brain, says the National Institute on Drug Abuse. These changes in brain structure may start to affect the behavior and personality of an addict. In some cases, a person's addiction may grow to be so severe that it becomes the strongest motivational factor in his life.
Changes in Behavior
Frequently, when a person first starts using drugs, the habit has little to no effect on her life. This, however, changes slowly after the habit develops into addiction. It is quite common for new drug users to start going to places they have never gone to before, or to socialize with new people. Things such as partaking in more risky behavior than before, having new health issues, involvement in criminal activity and having decreased productivity at school or at work are all signs of changed behavior that may indicate drug abuse, says MayoClinic.com. These changes might start off slowly and may happen in small increments, but they are often the first signs of addiction and drug abuse that users manifest.
Spending Time Focused on Drugs
A good way to determine how addicted a person is to a drug is to look at how much his life revolves around the substance. When he first started experimenting with drugs, his use might have been called "social." He only did it with his friends or on special occasions and did not make much note of the habit. As time passed, he started using it on lesser occasions and even alone. Now he uses the drug daily and spends much of his time and money on figuring out how to get more of the drug. He may even have reached the point where he feels as though he needs the drug just to feel normal. As addiction progresses, the changes to the brain make this type of compulsive drug-seeking behavior more frequent and intense, says the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Poor or Worsening Social Relationships
Having bad or limited social relationships is often associated with other mental conditions, and is one of the symptoms of drug abuse, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The more extensive the damage to the brain, the more reclusive and aggressive an addict generally is. These behavioral symptoms might start off with unexplainable absences, reclusiveness, lying and poor performance at school or at work, says Addictions.org.
